Effects of in vivo administered B. pertussis and other adjuvants on the mitotic responses of lymphocytes in vitro.

Intraperitoneal treatment of mice with adjuvants affects the in vitro response of their lymphocytes toward class-specific mitogen. Spleen cells from animals injected with Corynebacterium parvum organisms showed in some cases an increase in their response to all mitogens, while in other experiments, a moderate decrease in the reaction to T-specific mitogens (concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin) was found. Injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and in particular Bordetella pertussis bacteria, brought about a marked reduction in the response of spleen cells to B mitogens (LPS and PPD) but had little or no effect on the reaction to the T mitogens. Intraperitoneal administration of B. pertussis caused a marked depletion of lymph nodes and a high level of lymphocytosis. Blood cells of the treated mice showed an increased response to T mitogens, whereas mesenterial lymph node cultures reacted higher than the controls to LPS and without stimulation. No change was noted in the responses of cells from the axillary lymph nodes of these pertussis-treated mice.